Hockey fans, grab your sticks and settle in, because the NHL isn’t just cranking up the heat for playoff season—it might be gearing up for an even bigger game-changer! The talk these days isn’t just about Alex Ovechkin chasing a mark that is just off Wayne Gretzky’s record, or that the Washington Capitals have solidified their place in the playoffs already and are really making teams worried down in the East Conference. Nope, it’s brewing another storm and this newest one is really getting big and expanding fast. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman might have said back in October 2024 that adding new teams wasn’t exactly a ‘front-burner topic’, but fast-forward to now, and that pot is definitely starting to boil.

Reports of a massive shift in the league’s future are making waves, and hockey’s about to get a whole lot bigger. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan lit the fuse, revealing that the NHL has made serious strides in bringing a new franchise to Houston. And the guy leading the charge? None other than billionaire Dan Friedkin. Apart from Serie A side AS Roma, The Friedkin Group also owns Everton Football Club, which is in the heart of the Premier League, captivating soccer lovers across the world. Now, just as the regular season hurtles toward its April 17 finish line, NHL insiders have dropped a bombshell: the league’s expansion plans aren’t just whispers anymore—they’re full-blown fireworks!

Allan Walsh, the sports agent and legal powerhouse, hopped on X to back up a major scoop from ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. After she spilled the tea that billionaire Dan Friedkin is emerging as a serious contender to bring NHL action to Houston. Walsh dropped some straight-up confirmation vibes, and added, “As I’ve said several times recently, 2 new expansion teams are coming to the NHL. Expect new franchises located in Houston and Atlanta each paying an expansion fee of $1.5 Billion. #34Teams.”

That’s right, hockey fans—Houston and Atlanta could be next in line, and with a price tag of $1.5 billion per team, this expansion is coming in HOT. And just to give you perspective, this rumored expansion value is far north of what the previous two expansion teams the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken had to pay at $500 million and $650 million respectively.

But if you think the expansion value is all that’s going up in the NHL, you better think again.

NHL salary cap also sees a change!

Huge news for the NHL money game—because the salary cap is not just going up, it’s exploding! The league’s big update came back in January, and let’s just say, teams are going to have a lot more money to play with. Next season’s cap is set to climb, and the numbers for the coming years? Even wilder! We’re talking $95.5 million in 2025-26, $104 million in 2026-27, and a jaw-dropping $113.5 million in 2027-28. For context, the cap this season is $88 million, and each of those jumps to come is the largest the league has ever seen, having set the initial cap in 2005 at just $39 million. That’s a massive glow-up!

So what’s driving this financial boom? Well, the NHL has revenue stacked higher than ever, with U.S. media rights deals, jersey sponsorships, board ads, and just about every other form of revenue-generating sorcery crossing record levels. Both the league and the Players’ Association have been engaged together on the business side from an early point in the process to ensure some level of predictability, establishing the floor at $70.6 million for 2025-26 before it increases to $76.9 million and $83.9 million in subsequent seasons.

Of course, the numbers might see some tweaks along the way, but one thing we know for sure is that teams are about to have a whole lot more financial flexibility. And with the current CBA scheduled to run out after next season, don’t be shocked if discussions about an extension turn heated sooner than later. Buckle up, hockey fans—the league’s cash flow is hitting new heights, and the future is looking rich!